Infant feeder



April 24, 1951 J. T. VANCE, JR 2,550,210

INFANT FEEDER Filed Aug. 1, 1949 Fig .l.

if 22 26 Fig.2.

Fig. 3

20 John T. Vance, Jr.

24 40 INVENTOR,

- ulywqfim Patented Apr. 24, 1951 OFFICE.

INFANT FEEDER John T. Vance, Jr.,.Edna, Tex.

Application August 1, 1949, Serial No. 107,992

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in structuralrefinements in devices for feeding infants, and the principal object ofthe invention is to facilitate convenient, expeditious and highlysanitary performance of the feeding 7 operation Its object is achievedby the provision of a receptacle adapted to slidably receive a foodcontainer, the receptacle, in turn, being provided with an outlet tubeterminating at one end with a feeding spoon, so that by simply slidingthe food container in the receptacle, the contents of the container maybe discharged through the outlet tube of the receptacle onto the spoonand into the infants mouth.

, The primary feature of the invention, therefore, lies in theparticular structural arrangement of the receptacle and feeding tube,while another feature lies in the provision of a pistonlike head on thefeeding tube to engage the interior of the food container.

Some of the advantages of the invention lie I in its simplicity ofconstruction, in its convenient operation, and in its adaptability toeconomical manufacture.

With the .above more important objects and features in view, and suchother objects and features as may become apparent as this specificationproceeds, the invention consists essentially of the arrangement andconstruction of parts as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, inwhich.

Figure 1 is aside elevational view of the invention; a

. Figure 2 is a longitudinal cross sectional view thereof Figure 3 is across sectional view thereof, taken substantially in the plane of theline 33 in Figure 2; and

Figure 4 is a fragmentary plan view showing the feeding spoon at theouter end of the outlet tube.

Like characters of reference are employed to designate like parts in thespecification and throughout the several views. 7

Referring now to the accompanying drawings in detail, the inventionconsists of an infant feeder designated generally by the referencecharacter Ill, the same embodying in its construction an elongatedreceptacle assuming the form of a wire cage l2, this consistin of aplurality of spaced parallel and longitudinally extending rods M whichare inwardly arcuated at one end as at It and are securedto a tubularbushing l8, as will be clearly apparent.

1 Claim. (01. 222-320) The bus-hing I8 is thus; disposed centrally atone' end of the receptacle l2, it being noted that the remaining endportions of the rods l4 are arcuatedoutwardly as at 20- and are doubledupon themselves in spaced relation, as indicated.

provided with annular members 24, 25 which, together with the rodportions 20, 22 define what may be referred to as a finger piece, thepurpose of the latter being hereinafter more fully described.

The end of the cage l2 provided with the finger piece 2U2E is open sothat a food container 28 may be slidabl inserted in the cage, and it isto be noted that an open-ended outlet tube 3!! is secured intermediatethe ends thereof in the aforementioned bushing l8 and extendslongitudinally in the cage l2, one end portion of the tube projectingoutwardly from the cage and terminatin in a concave feeding spoon 32, aswill be clearly understood. I

On the other hand, a piston-like head 34 is mounted on the inner end ofthe tube 30 and is provided with a central aperture or bore 36communicating with the interior of the tube, the head 34 being adaptedto slidably engage the inner wall of the food container 28 so that whenthe container, filled with food, is inserted in the cage or receptaclel2, inward sliding movement of the container in the cage causes the foodto be forced by the head 34 through the tube 30 onto the spoon 32 and,consequently, into the infants mouth.

Needless to say, the food employed should be of a semi-solidconsistency, and if desired, suitable graduations 38 may be provided onthe container 26 so that the amount of food dispensed may be measured.In addition, the face of the head 34 adjacent the open end of thereceptacle [2 may be concave as indicated at 40, whereby the food in thecontainer will be urged into the tube 30 by the concavity of the head,and whereby the marginal edge portion of the head will possess a certainamount of resiliency so that it is better adapted to frictionally engagethe inner wall of the container 28 to prevent leakage of food.

When the invention is placed in use, the receptacle I2 i simply held inthe palm of the hand with two or three fingers engaging the finger piece20-26, while the container 28 is pressed into the receptacle by theremaining fingers, so as to dispense the food through the v tube 30.

The: portions 20;.22 of the rods Mare, in turn,

If desired, the open end of the container 28 may be flared as indicatedat 42, so as to facilitate the entrance of the head 34 therein.

It is believed that the advantages and use of the invention Will beclearly apparent from the foregoing disclosure and accordingly, furtherdescription thereof at this point is deemed unnecessary.

While in the foregoing there has been shown and described the preferredembodiment of this invention it is to be understood that minor changesin the details of construction, combination and arrangement of parts maybe resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of theinvention as claimed.

Havin described the claimed as new is:

In an infant feeding device, the combination of a substantiallycylindrical cage comprising a set of spaced longitudinally extendingrods having straight intermediate portions defining the sides of thecage and reversely curved end portions disposed respectively at theoutside and inside of opposite ends of the cage, an annular invention,what is wire member secured to extremities of the ex- 25 ternallydisposed end portions of said rods in spaced coaxial relation to thecage, a tubular bushing secured to the internally disposed end portionsof said rods coaxially with the cage, an open-ended outlet tube securedintermediate the ends thereof in said bushing, a piston-shaped headprovided on said tube in said cage, and a removable cylindrical foodcontainer slidable in said cage and having its inner surface infrictional sliding engagement with said head, the outer surface of saidcontainer slidably engaging the straight portions of said rods and saidrods having outwardly curved regions between the straight portions andthe externally disposed end portion thereof, whereby to provide guidemeans for inserting said container in said cage.

JOHN T. VANCE, JR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,214,801 Linke Feb. 6, 19171,921,535 McLean et a1. Aug. 8, 1933 1,948,054 Stringfellow Feb. 20,1934 2,461,211 Guthrie Feb. 8, 1949

